Avifauna

TerA total of 49 bird species have been recorded from Tg. Piai, including numerous wetland species such as Common Redshank (Tringa tetanus), Terek Sandpiper (Xenus cinereus), Collared Kingfisher (Todirhamphus chloris), Little Egret (Egretta garzetta), Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea), Malaysian Plover (Charadrius peronii) and Little Heron (Butorides striatus).

During high tide, shorebirds have been recorded roosting on dead patches of A. alba and S. alba trees along the seaward fringe of the mangrove. The globally vulnerable Lesser Adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus) has also been observed in the vicinity of Tg. Piai, with over 50 individuals recorded in surveys conducted for the Management Plan for the Mangroves of Johor, 1999. The DANCED Project Document 4 (1998) considers this significant as it represents more than 1% of the estimated world population. Other shorebirds of conservation interest directly recorded from or suspected of annahs at Tg. Piai include Malaysian Plover (Charadrius peronii), Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Eurynorhynchus pygmeus) and Chinese Crested Tern (Sterna bernsteini) Other notable species recorded from the site include three raptors, namely Brahminy Kite (Haliastur anna), Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), and Crested Serpent-eagle (Spilornis cheela) (Environmental Planning Blueprint Vol 2, 2010; Johor Ramsar Site’s Management Plan, 2006).

Mammals

A total of 7 species of mammal were reported from Tg. Piai. 3 species of primates were indicated comprising the Pig-tailed Macaque (Macaca nemestrina), Long-tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis) and Dusky Leaf Monkey (Trachypithecus annahs). The Flying Fox (Pteropus sp.) was historically relatively abundant, but their population has declined in recent years. The most common species of large mammal is the Wild Pig (Sus scrofa) observed along the coast of the mangrove forest (Johor Ramsar Site’s Management Plan, 2006).

Herpetofauna

Only one species of amphibian, the Crab-eating Frog (Rana cancrivora), is reported from Tg. Piai. The same document reports a total of seven species of reptiles, comprising four lizards and three snakes. These include Bowring’s Supple Skink (Lygosoma bowringii), Water Monitor (Varanus salralor), Yellow-ringed Cat Snake (Boiga dendrophila), Equatorial Spitting Cobra (Naja sumatrana) and the King Cobra (Ophiophagus annah) (Johor Ramsar Site’s Management Plan, 2006).Project Sandpiper: Environmental Initiatives Khazanah Nasional Berhad.

Marine Communities

There are adults of some commercially valuable species including Sea Bass (Lates calcarifer), Snappers (Lutjanus argentimaculatus and L.johni), Threadfins (Polynemus indicus, Eleutheronema tetradactylum), Tarpon (Megalops cyprinoides), White Pomphret (Pampus argenteus) and Head Grunter (Pomadasys hasta). Other fish species commonly found are the Catfish (Arius spp.), Catfish Eel (Plotosus spp.), Mullets (Liza spp.) and Jewfish/sciaenids.

The most abundant fish were the Clupeids (Anodontostoma chacunda and Ilisha megaloptera), Ambassids, Engraulids (Stolephorus and Thryssa) and Leiognatids. These are not commercially valuable fish, but serve as food for large carnivores such as Sea Basses and Snappers (DANCED Project Document No. 9, 1999). The presence of many species of fish and prawns supports the view that Tg. Piai is an important feeding and nursery ground for marine life in the Straits of Johor. The small estuaries are a storehouse of juvenile fish and penaeid prawns, which migrate to inshore and offshore waters and provide for the existence of fisheries (Environmental Planning Blueprint Vol 2, 2010; Johor Ramsar Site’s Management Plan, 2006).